Police Arrest Repeat Offender in Viral Motorcycle Theft Case in Ciracas

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ciracas Police Sector has stated that the perpetrator of a motorcycle theft at a boarding house in the Ciracas area, East Jakarta, is a repeat offender. “The perpetrator is a recidivist and has frequently committed theft. For motor vehicles, the case uncovered this time occurred in the Ciracas area,” said Ciracas Police Chief Kompol Rohmad Supriyanto at the Ciracas Police Station on Friday.

The suspect, identified by the initials MF, was arrested less than 24 hours after stealing a motorcycle belonging to a victim with the initials FR. The victim had reported the loss and posted the incident on social media.

Rohmad explained that the incident began on Sunday night (8/6) when the victim returned home from work around 9:30 p.m. Western Indonesia Time and went to his boarding house in Ciracas. Upon arrival, the victim placed his motorcycle key on the guest table before resting. When he woke up around 3:30 a.m., he discovered his motorcycle was no longer in the parking area.

Realising he had been a victim of theft, FR sought information by requesting CCTV footage from the surrounding area and uploaded details of the missing vehicle to social media. A resident later contacted the victim, informing him that the motorcycle seen in the viral post was suspected to be in the perpetrator’s neighbourhood. “Thankfully, a neighbour of the perpetrator saw the viral video and recognised the motorcycle. That information was then passed on to the victim,” Rohmad stated.

After successfully stealing the victim’s motorcycle, MF did not immediately sell the stolen goods. The vehicle was first hidden in the Jalan Obor area, Pasar Rebo. Police suspect the motorcycle was intentionally stored temporarily before being sold to a fence at a price far below market value. According to Rohmad, stolen vehicles are typically sold quickly for between Rp2.5 million and Rp3 million so they change hands rapidly and become difficult to trace. However, in this case, the plan was not carried out as police discovered the hidden vehicle first.

For his actions, MF is charged under Article 477 of the Criminal Code concerning aggravated theft. This article carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison or a fine of up to Category V (Rp500 million) due to the aggravating circumstances or methods involved.